The Health Spokesperson Kupelo Granted R30,000 Bail For Frau

Provincial health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo was arrested by the Hawks on Wednesday (Image: SUPPLIED)

(The Post News) – Sizwe Kupelo, aged 47, who previously served as a spokesperson for the health department in the Eastern Cape, has been accused of presenting a fake high school diploma. The Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigations (known as the Hawks) has arrested him.

These accusations have resulted in significant legal consequences, with Kupelo appearing in the Zwelitsha Magistrate Court. He was granted bail of R30,000 while facing charges of forgery, fraud, and uttering.

“It is alleged that Kupelo applied for a position as communications officer in the Eastern Cape’s Premier’s Office in Bisho in March 2002 and was hired in April of that same year,” said Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson. Kupelo was appointed Deputy Director of Communications in November 2002 by the Department of Health.

The matter surfaced after an audit and verification process within the Department of Health was conducted on all employees in 2020. It came to my attention that Kupelo has never owned a matriculation certificate but submitted a forged certification instead while he was employed. “This is now a criminal matter handled by the elite crime-fighting unit, and the department will cooperate with any investigation that seeks to strengthen the integrity of the services we render to the people of the Easter Cape,” said Mkhululi Ndamase, the spokesperson for Health MEC.

As we uncover more about this situation, it’s becoming clear that investigations are not limited to just the Department of Health. Other public sectors are also looking into possible similar instances that might have gone unnoticed. The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and other accreditation bodies stress the importance of conducting thorough checks on the qualifications of individuals holding public office.

“There is no case here; we are confident it will collapse,” said Asanda Pakade, Kupelo’s lawyer. He called out the charges as baseless and malicious because they are confident that this matter will not make it to trial. Kupelo also claims he has an honorary doctorate from Trinity International Bible University, which Blade Nzimande referred to as Bogus since it is unregistered and in no place to offer degrees in the country.

The next court date is scheduled for April 30 in the regional court. The majority are waiting for further developments in this case as it clouds Kupelo’s career and has raised questions in the public eye regarding vetting processes in the government department.